ATHLETICS | Denham Springs High Athletic Hall of Fame nominations sought beginning Feb. 1

The annual induction banquet for the Class of 2023 will be held on August 31, 2023, at Forrest Grove Plantation in Denham Springs. In addition to being honored at the banquet, inductees will also be presented to the public the following night, Sept. 1, at halftime of the DSHS-Mandeville football game in Yellow Jacket Stadium.

This will be the thirteenth year the Denham Springs Athletic Association and DSHS have co-hosted the event. Thus far, 88 former Yellow Jacket greats have been inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Readers are reminded that the Hall of Fame Selection Committee does not nominate the candidates. This important function is left to the public. Any person with an interest in DSHS sports may submit a nomination; however, individuals may not nominate themselves.

All nominations must conform to the Hall of Fame nomination guidelines available to the public by visiting the DSHS website at www.denhamspringshs.org or by picking up a copy at the school office.

When preparing a nomination, the most critical requirement is to provide documentation that substantiates claims of athletic, academic, and civic achievement. Such verification typically comes from newspaper articles, copies of yearbook pages, old scrapbooks, family archives, etc.

Nominators are advised to start early in the process of collecting documentation to afford nominees the best chance of selection. Unsubstantiated claims cannot be considered by the selection committee. Please refer to the Hall of Fame nomination guidelines for recommendations on which area newspapers and libraries to contact.

Nominations cannot be accepted by email or fax. Because guidelines require an 8x10 photograph of the candidate, nominations must be mailed or hand-delivered to: Denham Springs High School, ATTN: Principal (HOF), 1000 N. Range Avenue, Denham Springs, LA 70726. Submissions must be postmarked or hand-delivered no later than March 31 to be considered for induction this year.

Once all nominations are received and screened for completeness, the selection committee will meet to review the submissions and vote on candidates for induction this fall. Nominees who are not selected will remain active candidates and be voted on annually for a period of five years. If additional documentation becomes available that will strengthen their file, it should be submitted to the address noted above.

The Hall of Fame serves as a symbol of appreciation to the athletes, coaches, and supporters whose outstanding contributions meet the criteria for selection in one of these three categories. Male and female athletes will be representative of all varsity sports. Nominees, both living and deceased, will be considered from all eras of DSHS athletics to the extent possible.

For more information, contact Kathy deGeneres at kdegeneres@cox.net or (225) 665-8025.